Gov. Cox issues executive order to ensure data sharing between state agencies

SALT LAKE CITY (Feb. 1, 2023) – Gov. Spencer Cox has issued an Executive Order creating a time-limited task force on state agency collaboration and data sharing.  

“With 23,000 state employees, we need to ensure that all state departments are coordinating and working together,” Gov. Cox said. “By expanding information and data sharing, Utah’s state agencies will be able to better care for and serve Utah families. This new task force will help break down siloes and support improved collaboration.” 

Under Executive Order 2023-01, this new task force will create an action plan of concrete steps to deliver to the governor by Aug. 30, 2023. Gov. Cox has assigned Tracy Gruber, executive director of the Department of Health and Human Services, to lead this effort.

“I’m humbled that Gov. Cox has asked me to chair this task force that includes my fellow executive directors,” said Director Gruber. “People want a government that’s efficient and effective. As a state government, we can’t be efficient or effective without better sharing of information and resources between state departments, “We are ready to work together to explore the best ways to achieve the best outcomes for Utahns.”

Despite being among the highest ranked in the nation for economic strength, growth, employment, fiscal stability, health care, and education, Utah faces challenges, from affordable housing and high suicide rates among adolescents and teens to inflation and water supply. 

Addressing these and other challenges while maintaining Utah’s high quality of life requires a collaborative, flexible, efficient and customer-focused state government through agencies that are overseen by the governor to help address the many needs of Utahns. This delegation of responsibilities allows expertise of each state agency to provide high-quality care and services. Sharing resources, research, evaluation, and the data individual agencies collect creates an opportunity to build collaboration across the state. 

The task force and executive order are effective immediately. 

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